thejanullrichdietplan

I'd be interested - Although the Venn Diagram of people in the club that like TTing and also like gravel riding and who would like the two to be combined might just be a circle with me in it
 
https://www.strava.com/routes/2926218731512168650
Thats the Corlic hill loop i mentioned last night - it's pretty short but a loop so could do laps to make up a longer distance. Although i wouldnt fancy doing the steep bit too many times! One benefit it it's all off road and closed to cars and wide. IMO about as fast on a mountain bike as it would be on a gravel bike.
https://www.strava.com/routes/2926220499691371722
This is Devol past Port Glasgow Golf Course and up to the substation. It's a loop again, some of it on road (all left turns) and has a gate. Would be slightly faster on a gravel bike but mtb would be faster on the descent part.
https://www.strava.com/routes/2926222368858057332
For a traditional TT distance then here is 10 mile around Loch Thom. Gravel bike would be faster than a mtb due to more road
That's just 3 options that are all fairly local.  There are lots of other local options  (like to the mine at Muirshiel and back down again) but a lot of them would be out and back rather than loops and some (like around the Neilston pad or up to Loch Humphrey) can be busy with walkers and we might be a bit of a nuisance!
Alternatively could go a bit further afield - Whitelee, Dunoon, or Aberfoyle etc and then do something that is longer. Not sure what the appetite would be for that but i'd be up for that too.
 

These look like great routes to use, I will need to get out and ride them.  Off road cycling is about skill so is quite different from an all out TT effort on the Georgetown and could suit a lot more people.

I'd be interested - Although the Venn Diagram of people in the club that like TTing and also like gravel riding and who would like the two to be combined might just be a circle with me in it
 
https://www.strava.com/routes/2926218731512168650
Thats the Corlic hill loop i mentioned last night - it's pretty short but a loop so could do laps to make up a longer distance. Although i wouldnt fancy doing the steep bit too many times! One benefit it it's all off road and closed to cars and wide. IMO about as fast on a mountain bike as it would be on a gravel bike.
https://www.strava.com/routes/2926220499691371722
This is Devol past Port Glasgow Golf Course and up to the substation. It's a loop again, some of it on road (all left turns) and has a gate. Would be slightly faster on a gravel bike but mtb would be faster on the descent part.
https://www.strava.com/routes/2926222368858057332
For a traditional TT distance then here is 10 mile around Loch Thom. Gravel bike would be faster than a mtb due to more road
That's just 3 options that are all fairly local.  There are lots of other local options  (like to the mine at Muirshiel and back down again) but a lot of them would be out and back rather than loops and some (like around the Neilston pad or up to Loch Humphrey) can be busy with walkers and we might be a bit of a nuisance!
Alternatively could go a bit further afield - Whitelee, Dunoon, or Aberfoyle etc and then do something that is longer. Not sure what the appetite would be for that but i'd be up for that too.
 

I'd be interested - Although the Venn Diagram of people in the club that like TTing and also like gravel riding and who would like the two to be combined might just be a circle with me in it
 
https://www.strava.com/routes/2926218731512168650
Thats the Corlic hill loop i mentioned last night - it's pretty short but a loop so could do laps to make up a longer distance. Although i wouldnt fancy doing the steep bit too many times! One benefit it it's all off road and closed to cars and wide. IMO about as fast on a mountain bike as it would be on a gravel bike.
https://www.strava.com/routes/2926220499691371722
This is Devol past Port Glasgow Golf Course and up to the substation. It's a loop again, some of it on road (all left turns) and has a gate. Would be slightly faster on a gravel bike but mtb would be faster on the descent part.
https://www.strava.com/routes/2926222368858057332
For a traditional TT distance then here is 10 mile around Loch Thom. Gravel bike would be faster than a mtb due to more road
That's just 3 options that are all fairly local.  There are lots of other local options  (like to the mine at Muirshiel and back down again) but a lot of them would be out and back rather than loops and some (like around the Neilston pad or up to Loch Humphrey) can be busy with walkers and we might be a bit of a nuisance!
Alternatively could go a bit further afield - Whitelee, Dunoon, or Aberfoyle etc and then do something that is longer. Not sure what the appetite would be for that but i'd be up for that too.
 

Looking to explore options for including gravel bike specific events on the club calendar.  This is a new event being built up from nothing so everything is on the table at this stage, no detail too small, no idea too crazy.  What would get your interest so you will ride it?  Mountain bikes and e-bikes will also be welcome in this, indeed any bike at all.
Post up here or message me.

The success of the reliability rides always boils down to the weather  - unfortunately we've been pretty unlucky in recent years even before Covid! But the weather can also IMO have an impact on the merits of 2 or 3 groups.
For example: weather good Saturday and Sunday - 2 groups can work. Gives those that want a hard/fast ride the opportunity to do so on with the Renfrew bunch on the Saturday and then they can also do steadier endurance miles on the Sunday at the reliability ride.
Weather bad Saturday (and no Renfrew bunch) but good on Sunday - best to have 3 groups. Gives those that would normally do the Renfrew bunch a chance at a hit out.
However it also depends on the nature of what the second group is - does it become the scratch? It's not everyone's cup of tea but usually the scratch group comes with an understanding that it isn't a social ride and while it's good to keep the group together the pace will pick up towards the end of the ride and the likelihood is that riders will be dropped so be self sufficient and know the route and way back to the clubrooms.  The earlier groups are (and should be) more civilised and social than that during the ride and more akin to a club run. So if there are 2 groups does the second group then become the scratch with all that entails? It's been long time since i've been the hammer rather than the nail so know all about getting dropped and the misery of having to chase solo but i wouldn't want to give up on that competitive side of things.
Mark - i still remember the time on the Sinclair St reliability a few years ago where you put in an attack with Alan McBride coming out of Langbank making everyone else suffer before getting a mechanical which allowed some to catch up....it certainly didn't feel like a social club run at the time   

The success of the reliability rides always boils down to the weather  - unfortunately we've been pretty unlucky in recent years even before Covid! But the weather can also IMO have an impact on the merits of 2 or 3 groups.
For example: weather good Saturday and Sunday - 2 groups can work. Gives those that want a hard/fast ride the opportunity to do so on with the Renfrew bunch on the Saturday and then they can also do steadier endurance miles on the Sunday at the reliability ride.
Weather bad Saturday (and no Renfrew bunch) but good on Sunday - best to have 3 groups. Gives those that would normally do the Renfrew bunch a chance at a hit out.
However it also depends on the nature of what the second group is - does it become the scratch? It's not everyone's cup of tea but usually the scratch group comes with an understanding that it isn't a social ride and while it's good to keep the group together the pace will pick up towards the end of the ride and the likelihood is that riders will be dropped so be self sufficient and know the route and way back to the clubrooms.  The earlier groups are (and should be) more civilised and social than that during the ride and more akin to a club run. So if there are 2 groups does the second group then become the scratch with all that entails? It's been long time since i've been the hammer rather than the nail so know all about getting dropped and the misery of having to chase solo but i wouldn't want to give up on that competitive side of things.
Mark - i still remember the time on the Sinclair St reliability a few years ago where you put in an attack with Alan McBride coming out of Langbank making everyone else suffer before getting a mechanical which allowed some to catch up....it certainly didn't feel like a social club run at the time   

Enjoyable ride today good to see such a big turnout!

Enjoyable ride today good to see such a big turnout!

Great turnout today from the senior club and the Jets. Mud, gravel, punctures, coffee and cake, and a nice social pace was the order of the day. Just as Davie would have liked it

There was a thread with condolences after he died (although i cant find it just now to link to) plus another one with some photos and stories after his diagnosis. Some good photos and memories @ https://www.johnstone-wheelers.co.uk/thebunch/index.php?/topic/11776-farewell/
 

I have submitted what is the first edition of our confined events calendar for 2022.  As a club we are currently looking into ways to increase participation and there is still much work to be done taking on board what has already been said.  Therefor this is only the start!  The calendar is, at the moment, presented with no changes.  This is to show what would normally be done and allow everyone to see how things will evolve.  New events need to be chosen and old ones will need to be discarded along the way as we look to adapt.
For the first few events, the reliability runs, they are quite established and have been reasonably well attended during my time at the club.  They will stay in place this year, but I propose a simple change.  We discard the middle group leaving and only have two groups.  The first group will depart at the allotted time and do the route as they have always done, which is a social pace that suits everyone in the group.  The second and faster group shall then decide how much of a delay they should have before setting off.  Let us all see if you have the skills to wait longer than usual and still catch the earlier group to finish as a whole club in Miller Street?  A long lie in and bragging rights await.  Please let me know how you all feel about this before it is confirmed.
An open meeting for all club members will also happen soon to discuss the rest of the calendar.
2022 Confined Events #1 15 January.pdf

I was saddened to read Darryl’s post, above, and learn of Davie B’s passing. 
Davie was a wheeler at heart.  
 
The man who went to Italy with blue tinged legs and came home with blue tinged legs.
Many a time he would appear out of the murk on a Sunday morning, to meet me on the track at Kilbirnie, with his grimace on and greet me with a ‘Morning - shite weather’ and barely miss a pedal stroke. We also limped home down the track to the Garnock Valley numerous times, sucking each others wheels to save what little was left in the tank after a long day in the saddle. The best of times.
Davie was the most modest down to earth bloke, who loved to get off the main drag and head for the rural lanes and tracks. The more rutted and mankier the better. He had a pragmatic almost bleak outlook on life but was a dependable, generous individual with a wry sense of humour. Never particularly vociferous, yet spoke his mind when the occasion arose. 
 
I don’t know if Davie’s passing, and indeed his life, has been marked on the Club’s Facebook page (I don’t do Facebook), but it seems remiss that there is nothing on the the Bunch to pay tribute to the man. If this thread is it then this is my contribution. 
 
Davie B your were and always will be a Joansin Wheeler. You sadly ran out of farm tracks way too soon. You’ll be missed. 
 
Mark O

It's a tough situation and I think other clubs are experiencing similar issues with participation in confined events.
I can't speak for any one else but the reason I don't do many confined events is that in the summer i'll usually do the Georgetown league on a Wednesday night rather than the club event on a Tuesday. Partly this is so i can do the Renfrew Bunch on the Tuesday but also with the success of the Georgetown League it now has a big draw as the local event to compete at. And unfortunately i don't like TTing that much to do it twice a week!
So that is a bit of a negative comment...for more productive then Kenny's idea about a club BAR sounds an interesting idea - potentially would keep interest going across the whole season and in different disciplines. Although not sure about using standard times for it -  for a Jet to win they would need to be going sub 10 minutes on the Georgetown to beat Ian A!
Also to encourage whole club participation in TTing then perhaps a one day special event instead of a club run in the summer? Sort of like a mountain bike enduro event but on the road. 3 x TTs in a row - a 10 on the hilly course, a Georgetown TT and one lap (5 miles) on the restricted gear circuit.  Starting and finishing at club rooms and all the riding (including the TTs) is about 60miles.  Race all events or just do one if you like. And if you dont want to race could help timekeep or even just have a cafe stop while others are doing racing. Finish at the club rooms for a bbq. More of a social sort of race event rather than any trophies at stake. I realise this suggestion sounds like a lot of extra work But i'd be happy to help organise.
 
 

Glengarnock circuit was in a terrible state for ages but part of it resurfaced last year so might be suitable again. Would be good to have even a club training APR up and running again...my first year in the club it was on the Peesweep circuit and it was good fun, but gradually the numbers reduced so it was no longer viable.
 

It's a tough situation and I think other clubs are experiencing similar issues with participation in confined events.
I can't speak for any one else but the reason I don't do many confined events is that in the summer i'll usually do the Georgetown league on a Wednesday night rather than the club event on a Tuesday. Partly this is so i can do the Renfrew Bunch on the Tuesday but also with the success of the Georgetown League it now has a big draw as the local event to compete at. And unfortunately i don't like TTing that much to do it twice a week!
So that is a bit of a negative comment...for more productive then Kenny's idea about a club BAR sounds an interesting idea - potentially would keep interest going across the whole season and in different disciplines. Although not sure about using standard times for it -  for a Jet to win they would need to be going sub 10 minutes on the Georgetown to beat Ian A!
Also to encourage whole club participation in TTing then perhaps a one day special event instead of a club run in the summer? Sort of like a mountain bike enduro event but on the road. 3 x TTs in a row - a 10 on the hilly course, a Georgetown TT and one lap (5 miles) on the restricted gear circuit.  Starting and finishing at club rooms and all the riding (including the TTs) is about 60miles.  Race all events or just do one if you like. And if you dont want to race could help timekeep or even just have a cafe stop while others are doing racing. Finish at the club rooms for a bbq. More of a social sort of race event rather than any trophies at stake. I realise this suggestion sounds like a lot of extra work But i'd be happy to help organise.
 
 

Just throwing in some events ran in past which proved popular
I used to run a two day event at Glengarnock circuit  it started with a prologue TT 1.6 miles followed by a crit of an hour plus 5 laps in afternoon. Followed up by a RR at Gateside on the Sunday all done with 3 marshalls per day .
We ran a series of APRs  at various locations a) Peesweep at top of Braes  b) Gateside  2 circuits  c) Kilmacolm d) RNAD always popular events
A hill climb series 4 climbs one after the other starting at Howwood then Club hillclimb then 2 climbs off Beith Road heading to RB at Lochwinnoch
Hill climb followed by cyclocross event  we ran this for a few years first as a confined then as an open event.
Place to place TTs instead of out and back great if you ride with tail winds only  or reduced distance one year we were getting great numbers at Georgetown and light was fading so we shortened distance each week down to a final 3 mile event everybody loved it .
We rented a field off a farmer near Howwood and had a series of MTB races for different categories on a weekly basis ( riders paid £2 each ) before that we built circuits at Bluebell woods Elderslie  , vacant ground opposite clubrooms , quarry near Georgetown road and Gleniffer braes 
Two ups where teams were chosen from hat on the night so you could have the fastest and slowest rider riding as a team , great for team bonding or not depending on the individual LOL
We used to traditionally follow up club hill climb championship with a sports day which had slow cycle ,obstacle race , speed judging , freewheel , plus novelty events ie throwing the welly a sort of shot putt on bikes . WE invited other clubs to event , traditionally Lomond Roads and Regent.
We did a couple of cyclist v Harriers events with Kilbarchan Harriers these were popular down south ( a couple took place in Irvine as well) 
we did try to organise a bike v horses event but failed to find a suitable circuit 
Sometimes you have to think out the box 
ie when I started the Millport events again we had a 3 up 10 mile lap of the island . Everybody told me it was too short for a team TT nobody would ride it  the first year we had over 120 riders and more the next year . It was only discontinued due to island becoming too busy .
The same was true of TTT championship when I reduced it from 100K to 50K everybody said it wouldnt work it went from 6 teams to 24 teams 
We also held open event series with other clubs ie
Early season APRs at RNAD Beith 36 , 45 56 miles an extra lap per week we did that with Inverclyde Velo and Fullarton Wheelers
We also ran a summer crit series at Glengarnock with Inverclyde Velo , Fullarton and Inverclyde CRT helping to run the events 

You know the problem is the club is made up of loads of different groups ( not a bad thing ) which all go out in their own separate groups  and currently Traditional Sunday Club Runs and Time Trials are not really that important to the current membership . Maybe we should deliver something different and bin testing maybe do  Timed Gravel Rides ( not races) would save the committee some time and stop trying to get a non racing club racing . At the moment we have one racing track , maybe one racing road and at best 2 doing time trials , we have more riding gravel than riders racing . So maybe we should focus our time getting all the bunches back out on a Sunday , jus a thought  

How about a revamp of the old Tourist Trial event ??  a sort of BAR club event 
A)  long ride  of 100 miles ie 5 ferries , double Arran or  nominated sportive which has to be completed in different times for each standard  Gold , Silver , Bronze (  dated events to allow qualification)
b)  a 10 mile TT ( part of League of 10s) again with standard times 
c)  a Georgetown TT ( Chocolate series) with standard times 
d)  a hill climb with standard times  ( 2 events to allow qualification time)
possible addition of confined circuit race , APR , cyclo cross or track event 
Gold , Silver ,Bronze awards  with Platimum for riders who qualify and also attend nominated whole club runs 
Separate category for e bikes as we must embrace that these bikes will become more and more prevalent in the future .
 
 
 

Looks good 👍 

Finally, finished just in time for Xmas 🙂
Hope you dig it ....... tubeless & hydraulic disc ....... 24 degree "flare" handle bars too ...... so gravel 🙂
By the way, Merry Xmas everyone! 
 

A few more detail shots 🙂
Just look at the mahoosive cassette at the back 9-42t ........ jesus I hear you scream ...... 40t at the front, that's a much lower gear ratio than even my road 29-34 set up

Last night of track league of 2021 - started with a scratch, felt alright but when the pace picked up with 5 to go i was too far back and on the wrong wheel - moved up a bit but the front of the race was gone. Next was another scratch, similar story - felt alright but the wrong side of a split with about 3 to go.  Then the points, just followed wheels for the first 20 laps then Ian Fraser attacked after that sprint, he got quite a sizeable gap quickly and after a couple of laps i was able to get across without towing anyone else over. Worked well together and Ian asked me to do a double turn so he could recover a bit and in return he let me have the sprint. Continued to work together and looked like we could get  the lap but the bunch would just accelerate a bit everytime it got close! Held on with it pegged about half a lap and i got the last sprint and with it double points and the win. Been trying for weeks to get an attack to stick so really pleased with how it turned out! Last was a tempo - Sam took it up early and won the first sprint, i then went for it but got rolled on the line, then dropped back for a lap and attacked...but got rolled again by someone else. Then i tried to come round the next lap but couldnt but continued hard after the sprint. AND GOT ROLLED AGAIN by someone else 😵. At least after this one we had a gap and started working together - i got one point, then swung off to let him have the next. However a lapped rider then dropped in between the two of us and got in the way. I should really have shouted at him to swing up not to interfere but by this point i was burst and could barely talk. Ended up 4th with 1 point, wouldnt have won but should have been 2nd so a bit disappointed. However overall a good nights racing and a pleasing way to end the first block of racing.
Things start back again on the 5th January.
 

Looking good!
I was going to say the frame isn't going to look that clean ever again...however knowing you then it will be brought back to sparkling condition after every ride!

Looking good!
I was going to say the frame isn't going to look that clean ever again...however knowing you then it will be brought back to sparkling condition after every ride!